We're not that different
by Fear the unicorn
Summary: [AU] Ino was the most popular kid in school, Shikamaru was a loner. What could these two opposites have in common? A shikaino story.
1. Chapter 1

Ino woke up with a groan. It was a Monday which meant the start of a crowded week. She could never catch a break during it. She had at least one activity every day but couldn't bear to part with any of them. She knew she was spreading herself thin. She did almost every activity there was at her school. Yet having a crammed schedule meant she got to spend the least amount of her day at her home, which was a good thing to her.

Today she had to tutor some freshman before school. After school she had volleyball and then cheerleading practice. At least soccer season wasn't until second semester. She had to stay late to finish a set for the school play and she had to run lines as she was the star of that play that next day. She only did that stupid play because it gave her a chance to spend times with her best friend Sakura because they shared no classes.

Except now even their friendship was giving Ino stress. Sakura had wanted the star role and Ino had spent the entire summer helping her so she could get it. But then she ended up getting it while Sakura played a supporting role. It still had tons of lines and was in nearly every scene but it still made Sakura jealous to no end. Ino had tried to get the parts switched but the stupid director had refused. Now she was stuck with a best friend who wanted to stab her eyeball but still go with her to the mall. It was different every day. Some days she'd completely ignore the blonde and other times she'd call her out of the blue for an hour long talk about the latest gossip. Yet Sakura was still her best friend and she couldn't bear to lose her. Especially with the hell she called her life at the moment.

Then there was the academic aspect of her stress. School had always been so easy for her, she could pass tests without studying and could be done with homework in an hour. But then junior year came around and her classes hit her like a ton of bricks. She was thankful for taking calculus at the second level of difficulty instead of the highest or else every night would be filled with frustrated tears. Well more than usual. The rest of her classes had quizzes weekly with plenty of homework. They were hard but somehow Ino managed to get A's in the majority of them. It was just the sheer quantity of work she had to work with on top of her extracurriculars.

Sakura always questioned how Ino managed to balance her life so well. Any other student would have been driven mad with the multitasking. Sometimes she wanted to just walk into the principal's office and quit everything and drop down to the lowest difficulty classes. Everything would be so much easier if that happened. But she had university to think about. All the best ones were far away which were exactly what she wanted. But to get in meant being the most stellar student in not only her high school but in her entire city. Even then her chances weren't guaranteed. All Ino wanted was to get out of Konoha and her old life and start a new one anywhere else.

She begrudgingly pushed off her blankets and walked over to her closet. At least she didn't have to think about what to wear because her school required a uniform. She slipped into her school uniform and pulled her platinum blonde hair into a high ponytail. She packed her bag and ran out the door. Ino didn't have time to eat breakfast anymore, it was becoming a problem and Ino knew that. She hated that she had to start her days so early, The sun hadn't even risen yet and she still had to walk through the streets to get to her high school. The streets were still well lit so she didn't have to worry much at least. That still didn't slow her quick pace and remove the pepper spray from her bag, her mother had always warned her to always be alert. Everything was going according to plan until she crashed into someone.

"Hey watch it!" Ino yelled as she hit the ground. It was like smacking into a stone wall, had she spaced out that much?

"You hit me!" A rough voice yelled back. Ino looked up and recognized the spiky ponytail that belonged to Shikamaru Nara. He hadn't fallen smack on his ass like she had.

"You talk?" Ino asked jokingly. Shikamaru's dark eyes rolled as he turned to leave. That guy was no fun. He was a loner that lurked in the shadows. Apparently he had moved to town their freshman year but Ino had never spoke to him. They had a few classes together but he never participated in class discussions of debates. She never saw him in the hallways or during lunch. The only person she had ever seen him talk to was Chouji Akimichi, the most welcoming guy in their school so it made sense. Still the two seemed like opposites. Chouji always was smiling and cheerful while Shikamaru never seemed to enjoy anything. Ino thought he was mute because he never spoke. He could've helped her stand up or at least apologize for standing in the middle of the road.

Ino realized that she was going go be late if she didn't hurry so she ran. Running that early in the morning had put her in an even poorer mood. Shikamaru saw blonde hair whip in front of him as she sprinted away from him. He sighed as he stared after her. Miss Popular actually spoke to him. Ino was the kind of girl that everyone admired. She was the most popular girl to enter the hidden leaf village. Girls wanted to be her and boys wanted to be with her. She had the idolized Sasuke as her boyfriend and she was an amazing student. She wore a smile on her face everyday that could brighten up the room. She was perfect in every way, Shikamaru wasn't. The only thing he had was an IQ of over 200, but he never showed it because he diddnt talk much. It was too troublesome. He didn't mind observing, but he did mind being overlooked. He especially didn't want to be overlooked by Ino.

He had gotten one last glimpse of her before she turned the corner and disappeared towards their school. He wanted this year to be different for him, well mostly his mother wanted it for him but he'd do it for her. His father would've wanted him to as well. He just needed a push, one nicer than the shoves from his mother.

* * *

Ino finally rested her back against the lockers after final period. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd making their way to the double doors and wished she was part of it. Her physicis test had drained her energy, which wouldn't be helpful for cheerleading practice. She had to lead the chants and stand proudly on the top of the pyramid as the captain. But all she wanted was to put in her earbuds and be in complete silence in her bedroom.

Her "boyfriend" Sasuke had walked straight past her. His hand barely not holding the hand of the redhead beside him. Ino knew she wasn't the only girl he had his eye on, she had known from before they had started dating six months ago. She thought she could've changed him but a month in and she found out how wrong she was. Dumping him would hurt her reputation in some aspect it another and the stress of thinking about it made her stay silent on the matter. It made her feel both in control and completely helpless. It was a combination that made her feel like she was on a seesaw.

Ino's list of issues was just about as long as her list of activities. Both of them caused an equal amount of stressful torment.

Ino finally was finished with her day of activities and all she wanted was to sleep. Cartwheeling and cheering made her fake smile being pain to her face. She had to keep it during volleyball practice as well even when the ball hit her in the back of the head. Thankfully she was able to cancel line reading by exaggerating her homework. It wasn't as much of an exaggeration as Ino had hoped however.

She fell onto her bed and closed her eyes and then she heard her mother yell at one of boyfriends. Ino couldn't remember this one's name, she didn't have to since he'd be gone soon enough. After her father died Ino's mother threw herself into relationship after relationship to cope. She had the most boring men to rich snobs to humble workers to actually married men to complete scumbags and everywhere in between. Ino had given up on the prospect on having one of them as a father figure after the third one within a month.

Now most of them fell into that scumbag category. They wanted sex and nothing else. It make Ino sick to the very bottom of her stomach as she watched them stare at her mother like she was their prey. Sometimes their eyes fell on her instead which sent chills down her spine. Nothing had ever happened to her at their hands but enough of them had too close. Her mother had been able to snap out of her estranged mindest in those moments but never anything else. She wished they could just give one day of peace She hid behind their bedroom door.

"Why was there lipstick on your shirt?" Her mom questioned. _Probably because you're not his only lover._

"For the last time that isn't lipstick!" The man shouted back. _I doubt that._

"What is it?" Her mom asked loudly. _Lipstick most likely. _

"It's ketchup, you can smell it if you want." He answered. Ino heard a thud that seemed like cotton being thrown down. Then she heard a slap. She knew it was her mom's because Ino herself had heard that slap herself. It hurt like a bitch. Then her mother's now probably ex-boyfriend burst through the door, livid. The door hit Ino square in the face.

"Ino go to your room." Her mother ordered from inside the doorframe as he shoved her aside to storm out of the house.

Ino scurried into her room where her blankets were her only sanctuary. Her face felt hot and wet as her pillow moistened with her tears. It muffled her bottled up sobs of that past year. She want sure why that one confrontation pushed all her emotions out of her. Her mother had slammed the door shut hard enough to make Ino's own room rattle. There she cried herself to sleep like she has been for the past year.


	2. Chapter 2

Shikamaru did no activities. None could keep his attention long enough to become a hobby besides the game shoji. But he had given up after his father died that previous summer. It had been their one common ground and every Sunday they played a single match. It was their little ritual. They were evenly matched so games could go for hours on end or one could whip up a genius strategy and win within ten minutes. The outcome was never predictable since both their IQs were well above genius level.

However the shoji board had become a meer dust collecter for him now. It hadn't been touched in a year and Shikamaru planned to keep it that way. His father had been the only person to make him sweat during a match, everyone else was a piece of cake. It could just never be the same. That eliminated his only activity and let his laziness reach its fullest potential.

He had been scolded for his apathetic nature by just about every teacher. That didn't make him inclined to change. It had never gotten past detentions and phone calls to parents anyway. So he couldn't comprehend why the guidance counselor decided it was his duty to step him. It was none of his business.

"Look kid, there must be some club that you want to do." said Asuma, the school guidance counselor. They had been in this session for an hour and had made no progress. It was students like Shikamaru that made Asuma frustrated as hell with his job. He was supposed to listen to them and help sort out their issues and offer guidance, as the title would suggest. He had been in a few sessions with the brooding boy but he always said as little as possible. During their first session he had only nodded or shook his head to any questions Asuma had for him. The boy was so stubborn to keep his reasons for being closed off and lazy that Asuma had run out of ideas.

"It's too troublesome." Shikamaru answered as he looked through the activity booklet. Most were sports or creative clubs, both of which repulsed him. Sure he was athletic and he was definitely creative but he didn't need to exploit those qualities. His creativity lied in strategy planning, not arts and crafts like the club he had scanned over. His athletic ability was higher than he let on so he didn't have to put forth effort in gym. He had even been on the soccer team in middle school, granted his mother forced him into it, but to his surprise he didn't mind it. It wasn't overly competitive and the rest of the players were just as lazy as he was. Then he looked at one soccer practice for their high school and never looked back. That was far too troublesome to deal with.

"You like strategy games maybe you could do shoji club." Asuma said. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Doing something he loved in a competitive manner sounded like hell. He knew it would just make him despise shoji. There was also the fact that he didn't play it anymore.

"Well you need one thing so you can at least graduate." Asuma stated. He had explained each club with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He found himself similar to the student sitting across from him; he wasn't exactly jovial, he didn't enjoy doing tons of things, and they both were stubborn as bricks. Yet he liked to think that he at least put forth the effort to make the best of situations.

"Like what?" Shikamaru asked. Asuma sighed and thought to himself. What club fits a guy that doesn't want to do anything?

"Oh I know! One of our tutors is moving and we need a replacement. You're a pretty smart kid it would be perfect. It's only an hour after school." Asuma said. It seemed like a good fit. It wouldn't require too much work on his part and it would fit the extracurricular requirement.

"Fine." Shikamaru surrendered as he grabbed the sheet to sign. If he had to do an activity then this one seemed like the easiest to handle.

"Monday,Wednesday, and Friday. You'll start on Wednesday." Asuma said as Shikamaru walked out the door. The final bell rang and all the kids were flooding the hallways.

"What a drag." He grumbled as he made his way to his locker. He heard a girly giggle from next to his locker. Of course it belonged to Ino, Sasuke's locker was next to his. He wondered how they even got together. From what he had heard they were two very, very different people. In fact the only thing they had in common was popularity, which they both had an abnormal amount of. Shikamaru assumed that's why they began dating but neither of them seemed happy with the arrangement. Sasuke waltzed around with other girls on a daily basis, sometimes in plain sight of his supposed girlfriend. Shikamaru observed that Ino's eyes lost their usual electricity around him as well even though she always wore a smile. How could a girl smile that much? It seemed like an impossible feat.

"I'm busy tonight." Sasuke said in a monotone. Shikamaru could imagine him rolling his eyes as he said that.

"But I need a guy's opinion for my newspaper article." Ino whined back. The school newspaper was just one of the many activities Ino participated. That was another incredible feat of hers, she did practically everything.

"Any boy would do it for you." Sasuke said back. Ino huffed deeply and Shikamaru could see her hand go on her hip from his obscured view behind his locker door. Several boys in their grade were inching closer to her after that last statement. Shikamaru was growing tired of eavesdropping and shut his locker and began walking towards the exit of the building. He could make out more pleads from Ino that Sasuke shot down promptly.

"Hey!" Her overly cheerful called from behind him. Was she talking to him? He knew it seemed unlikely, yet he still turned around. And there she was, walking up to him with the embodiment of cheerfulness. Her smile was as vibrant as her sky blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. She looked like the princesses out of storybooks.

"Are you free tonight?" She asked. She made it sound like a question but he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was telling him he was free that night. From what he had observed in their classes together she was rather bossy especially in group discussions.

"Uh sure, I guess." Shikamaru stuttered. Ino had just walked past every other guy to ask Shikamaru personally. And the line of men was longer than even Shikamaru had imagined. How popular was this girl? And how desperate were his peers?

"Great, come to my house at eight, on the dot." She ordered and she bounced to whatever activity she had to do. Everyone gasped at Shikamaru, boys shot him dirty looks and girls giggled. He hated attention and especially when all eyes were on him. No one had ever spared him a glance except his best friend Chouji and he wasn't ready to change that.

* * *

Shikamaru found himself outside Ino's extremely large residence. He knew she was rich, after all her father did donate the new football stadium their freshman year. But he didn't think she lived in a mansion. The place was ginormous. It was surrounded by lavish gardens and decorated by items that would have looked gaudy anywhere else. There was even a little fountain in her front yard. Not only did she look like she came out of a storybook, it looked like she lived in one too.

He hadn't come exactly at eight like he had been instructed. He was always lousy with time management. Still it was only a couple of minutes late so she had no reason to tear his head off for it. That still didn't make his knock at least a little hesitant.

"Hi!" Ino greeted happily as she welcomed him in. He was relieved that she hadn't noticed his tardiness.

The inside of the Yamanaka residence was even more impressive. Each room was decorated to perfection in a somewhat antique style. It didn't look too old but not modern either. Whatever the style was it did look very tasteful. Ino had to guide him through a winding hallway just to get to their "main"room. Well then what were all those other large rooms? Not to mention there was entire upstairs. It certainly looked like a place fit for the most well known family in Konoha.

He had been so in awe of her home that he had not focused on the girl that had invited him in the first place. Ino had changed out of her school attire. Now she wore a long cardigan in a pale blue color that was almost the color of her eyes. It reached just above the lacy white dress underneath that looked expensive. It probably was given the girl wearing it. She had also slipped on some white ballet flats. It made him feel out of place since he hadn't bothered to change out of his uniform.

"You're house is um, very nice." He stammered out. It wasn't common for him to compliment something.

"Aw thank you." She replied back with a light smile. He had to admit her smiles were pretty cute but it was still strange for someone to smile that much. Did she ever get upset?

"So what did you need me for?" Shikamaru asked as he took the seat Ino was cueing him to. It was next to her on the cream colored sofa. Compared to the rest of her home the piece of furniture seemed lackluster. But it was extremely comfortable.

"Oh right, I need to interview you for the newspaper. I need four people but the other three I got were girls so I figured I should include a boy's opinion. It's just a basic questionnaire, it will only be like a quarter of a page. " Ino explained and picked up the notebook on the endtable.

"Question one, do you think our school has a good amount of extracurriculars avaliable?

"I guess." He shrugged. The school did, just none that interested him.

"Question 2, do you think our school has the proper resources for us to achieve success?" She asked after righting his answer in her book. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at that question.

"You know like tutoring to help our academics and stuff like that." Ino added after receiving silence.

"Yes."

"Question 3, what is your favorite subject in school?"

"English."

"Question 4, least favorite subject?"

"Math I guess." He shrugged once again, it required the most work out of all his classes.

"Question 5, how do you like our teachers?"

"They're fine." He yawned, these questions were so boring.

"Question 6, if you could change one thing about our school what would it be?" Ino asked. Now that was an interesting question. There were dozens of things he would change. How could he pick one?

"I think school should start later, I mean we have to be in classes by seven. We need our sleep to do our best, you know?" Shikamaru answered. Having an extra hour of sleep would definitely put him in a better mood.

"I agree." She nodded and scribbled his answer down.

"You also answered question seven with that. It was just your reasons for question six." Ino stated and continued writing. Shikamaru noted how quickly she wrote, her hand was moving rapidly.

"Question 8, what's one thing you enjoy about our school?"

Shikamaru didn't enjoy that question, he hated every aspect of school. Yet he felt like that was something Ino did not want to hear. "Uh, the people are nice I guess."

"Question 9, what was your first impression of our school?"

"It was very crowded."

"Last question, has that impression changed?"

"Not really." He sighed, the school was just as big as it had been when he first came to it.

Ino finished writing and started examining the answers. Shikamaru couldn't tell what she was thinking about. At the same time he wasn't sure if he wanted to.


	3. Chapter 3

"Is this all you needed me for?" Shikamaru questioned. She could've asked him these questions during their passing period, he didn't need to come over to her house for it. It would be such a waste of time if that was the case.

"Well yeah," Ino replied to the easy question. She was confused as to why he rolled his eyes at her answer. She thought she had been clear.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked. Shikamaru chuckled under his breath after seeing her naive look. Her head was cocked slightly to the side and her baby blue eyes were widened a little. Her long side bangs fell over her right eye as she did so. She could be cute no matter what expression she wore, and that seemed entirely unfair to him.

"Well I haven't been here for ten minutes and now I'm done. It just seems like a waste of my time if that is all I'm supposed to do." He answered in his signature lazy drawl. He didn't see how she was not aware of this.

"You were more straightforward with your answers. Sakura, Karin, and Hinata took a lot longer to answer. So I thought you'd be the same." She replied with nervous laughter. She was now looking at her lap with lowered eyebrows. _Crap, now I upset her. I hate when girls get all sad, they're even more troublesome that way. Now I've got to think of something to fix this. _

"It's not that bad really. How about I interview you?" He offered. At least it would pass the time. Ino looked up at him and shrugged in agreement. She handed him the notebook she had been writing in. He promptly set it back down on the table.

"But you need the questions," she objected.

"Not those ones, I want to get to know you." He replied and sunk back into the sofa. There was no point in hiding his poor composure. Why he wanted to get to know was a mystery even to him. She seemed like a nice enough girl but he didn't expect to spend much time with her once he left her very impressive mansion. He definitely didn't expect her to invite him back or even talk to him in the hallways. There was no reason for miss popular to socialize with a loner like him. It wasn't like she had an obligation or anything.

Ino turned her head away to give her eyes ample time to widen without him noticing. Someone wanted to get to know her? That hadn't happened in a _long_ time. No one even bothered to scratch her surface of perfection. She had tried hard to make sure she looked like the poster model of positivity to the blind eye. Really only Sakura had a trained eye when it came to her. Her housemaid Hana had a good idea too. But she was only around on weekends. It got so lonely having no one around. Ino was always surrounded by people in school but they were all practically strangers to her. They didn't care to get to know her inside and out, they just wanted to idolize her like a goddess. And she let them because hiding her problems and being lonely was better than letting her guard down to be attacked.

But if they guy was being sincere and not just trying to get into her pants, then what was stopping her from being honest?

"Go for it." She smirked.

"Um alright, favorite color?" He asked nervously. He cursed that his genius kind couldn't provide him a better question. Now she was going to think of him as boring. Although he was a boring man for whatever reason he didn't want Ino to know that.

"Purple, yours?"

"Hey I'm the one asking the questions." Shikamaru frowned. What was she trying to pull?

"I want to get to know you too. Now what's your favorite color?" Ino responded as she crossed one leg over the other. She wasn't going to be the only answering personal questions. She wanted to know more about this mystery boy.

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to be more than a little shocked. Unlike Ino he kept it down though, his face remained the same blank slate. No one ever bothered to give him the time of day. He was already surprised when Ino asked to do this interview but getting to know him personally made him utterly shocked. Why would she even want to? There was no plausible reason for her to hold a conversation with him voluntarily.

"Blue." He heard himself say. That confused him because he had always loved green. The shade of grass had always been his beloved color and nothing else came close. So why did he say blue? Being sure of himself was one of his strong points, he never doubted himself. He found himself wondering what things he liked that were blue. Maybe it was because the sky was blue, he did love the sky. His wallpaper was blue and he saw that everyday. The ocean is blue and he liked that enough. She had coughed politely since he must've spaced out trying to figure out why he said blue. When he turned to face her, he knew. It was because her eyes were the color of the sky, his wallpaper, and the ocean in the most beautiful shade he had ever witnessed.

"I asked what your favorite animal is." She stated when he came out of his never ending thoughts. She was clicking her right heel against her left ankle in impatience. She did not appreciate being ignored.

"Oh, a deer." He answered quickly. His mother would've had his head on a stick if he said an animal besides a deer. It was their family's animal.

"Mine's a pig. Your turn." Ino replied and Shikamaru had found her closer than before.

"What's it like to live in this giant house?" He asked curiously.

Ino turned away and looked up at the ceiling. So now he's really getting personal.

She had to think of how much she was willing to dish out. How blunt could she be with this guy. The mansion was like a prison to her. It was just empty room after empty room. At most there were three people in it on a somewhat routine schedule. That was the weekend when Ino, her mother Hisako, and their maid Hana were all present. There was the occasional lover of Hisako's that stayed for a month at most. Although usually she went to their place. On days like this one before Shikamaru had come, Ino had been completely alone in the enormous house. Most of the rooms were off limits anyway. Her father's study, the main bedroom, Hisako's art room, a door that had never been opened in the hallway, the attic, the basement, and Hana's room. They were locked at all times. It didn't really matter to her since she spent most of the little time she spent in the house in her bedroom. That was a room off limits to others. Only Sakura had been allowed to step inside and even that seemed like an invasion of privacy to Ino.

She could barely go outside without calling her uncle Chouza for protection first. She was thankful for having a former policeman as her godfather that had his phone on him at all times. He could be at her house in less than three minutes, she had counted. Ino always carried her pepper spray and took self defense classes but there was only so much her petite frame could handle by herself. Her mother had accumulated an extensive list of ex boyfriends and quite a few of them refused to accept it. The amount of harassment they brought depended on the person. The first people stalked around the perimeter of the mansion, just waiting for someone to come out. The police force arrested a couple but she still never felt safe. Chouza became her personal bodyguard and escorted her anywhere she needed. On one night he ended sleeping on their couch after an old lover attempted to break in. Chouza eventually managed to get the police department to keep an officer at the end of her street after calling in a personal favor.

Then there were the more extreme cases like the time one tried to abduct her on her way from home after school. She had been lucky the guy hadn't been the brightest and attempted it in broad daylight around others. Some were smarter and hid in her massive greenery or by her backdoor to attempt the steal of the princess. As more attempts occurred Ino had become well aware of all their tricks and could save herself. But at the beginning all she could do was scream at the top of her lungs and wait for the assailant to run away or wait for a rescue that always came. Her danger only lasted a few minutes at most.

It took forever to persuade her uncle to not be her shadow. He still checks up on her constantly and picks her up from her after school activities but gave her a bit of personal space. He lets her get herself to school as long as she texts him when she leaves and when she arrives. If that time frame is more than fifteen minutes then he had already contacted the police. He was like an overprotective parent to her but to be fair it wasn't uncalled for. God forbid she misses one of his random phone calls, he would be a dial away from getting the secret service.

It wasn't easy to avoid creeps that would want _the_ Inochi Yamanaka's daughter given she lived in a mansion. The only one in all of Konoha so she wasn't hard to find. Chouza had expressed how much she should move into the apartments but the mansion was a piece of her father that she refused to let go. The girl was so stubborn it was impossible to change her mind once it was set. He had also wanted her to get a car so transportation would be safer but he knew her reasons for being against the idea. After all it was a car accident that killed her beloved father.

Overall the house was like a sentimental prison. It was a bearable hell to live in. Her father was in each part of the mansion but she could hardy ever leave. She was treated like precious glass that would shatter if she went outside. But inside was just as upsetting.

"It's kinda boring since I'm alone most of the time." Ino finally answered. She figured it was a safe answer. She even have a reason behind it so hopefully he wouldn't ask too many follow up questions. She was beginning to think getting personal was a bad idea for all the bad memories it was bringing back.

"Yeah I could see that. Must be a pain in the ass to clean too." Shikamaru chuckled in agreement. His mother would complain more than she usually did if she were the maid for this place.

"Yeah our maid Hana would agree with you. There's always something to clean. Everything just gets so dusty you know?" She nodded with a smile that wasn't forced like the majority of hers had been since her father passed. It felt so strange to wear a genuine smile. It felt, good.


	4. Chapter 4

"So tell me something about you." Ino ordered after talking about her own her life for several minutes. They went from talking about her massive house to her equally massive list of extracurriculars to the pros and cons of her popularity and several little tid bits about her personal life. It felt strangely satisfying to talk to someone that actually listened to what she was saying and even adding his own remarks to them. She didn't mind telling him how much stress her activities gave her, only Sakura had a vague idea about it. She didn't mind telling him how she would love to have just one day as a completely different person. Someone that just went to normal classes and went home after the bell rung. It sounded like heaven. She had even told him that.

Ino couldn't believe how open she was being with this boy she barely. It was just the way his chocolate brown eyes were completely fixated on her as he listened to he little rants about her daily life. He looked genuinely interested in what she saying. He'd add in his own little personal stories once in awhile but for the most part his focus was completely on her. It didn't feel like the pressure to be perfect from her peers as they watched her every move. It just felt like she was important to someone.

She almost could've gone into the very imperfect aspects of her life. She hinted at them but not even Sakura knew the nitty gritty details. She was aware that Hisako had poor taste in men for the most part, but by now most people in Konoha already knew that. Ino decided her taste deteriorated with each new man because her first couple had actually been really great. Ino could actually stand to go out to dinner with them. But even then the longest relationship had lasted five months and that had been the longest of all her relationships. Ino couldn't really remember is name but she remembered him being very friendly. Her mother had actually smiled during that time period. No other guy or girl ever came close to that point much to Ino's dismay. Now she had to deal with assholes that just wanted to have sex with her mother and nothing more. It was usually either that or assholes that her mother had been smart enough to dump but they weren't as fond with the idea. Even so they hadn't had not had one of those in months and even he just spammed their phone with like twenty messages and gave up. It was no big deal compared to some of the other lengths they would go to.

That was still something she liked to keep to herself. That among dozens of other things deemed too personal for even Uncle Chouza or Sakura.

"Well," she cooed while shifting closer to sit by him.

"I'm really not that interesting of a guy." He grumbled and rubbed the side of his neck. He couldn't think of anything worth mentioning go her. She had so much to say and somehow never got boring to listen to. He knew he'd be the polar opposite.

"Got a hobby?" She questioned.

"Nope." He sighed in disappointment. He was almost too bland for himself to handle.

"Oh come there's got to be something you do for fun." The blonde persisted.

"My dad and I used to play shogi when I was a kid I guess." He answered. It was the closest to a hobby he had even if he no longer played it.

"That's like that strategy game with the pieces based on royalty right?"

"Well actually the king is the only royal piece. The rest are like the people that serve him." He corrected.

"Do you do the club here at school?" Ino asked trying to coax some conversation from him. Maybe he really wasn't an interesting person after all. But she knew there was something underneath that bland exterior. She knew to look past outside appearances better than anyone.

"No."

"Why not, it's your hobby right?" Ino asked. She would be lying if she objected to being a little frustrated with the spiky haired boy.

"It used to be my hobby. I don't really play it anymore." He replied and Ino could see that there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes when he said it. It was gone in a blink of an eye though. She wondered if she hit a nerve by accident?

"Well I guess that makes sense. Do you do any sports?" She continued in her effort to get some sentences out of him. She decided against pushing the shogi subject since it was evident he didn't want to talk about. Maybe if she got to know him a little better than she'd ask about some other time.

"I did soccer until the end of middle school and a little karate before that." He answered boredly. What other questions could she ask to get him to hold a conversation with her?

"They were too troublesome." He added as his reason for quitting.

"You're a lazy guy aren't you? Ino smirked. At least she was getting an idea of what he was like. He only gave her a nod.

Now Ino had become determined to crack this guy's shell. He was hiding somehing just like her. She knew better than anyone that whatever his secret was, it was something he'd protect to the bitter end. Maybe she was being a bit dramatic but this had been the first person to reach a kinship with her...potentially.

"It's gotten pretty late you know." She heard him say. What was he talking about, they had been talking for half an hour at most. However when Ino focused her baby blue eyes on the wall clock she saw it had been an hour and forty five minutes. She couldn't believe they had talked for that long. Not even Sakura could handle Ino for that long with nothing but talking.

"I totally lost track of time, I'm so sorry. I didn't mess up your plans did I?" Ino apologized hastily. She hated how she could get so lost in something, in this case a conversation. She was focused during her academics but during social functions her mind was racing at a million miles per minute.

"Nah I didn't really give my mom a time when I'd be done. Besides the walk isn't very long. Is just a couple of blocks." He replied and got up from the comfy sofa. If was almost as nice as his bed. We'll be expected it to be judging by the rest of the luxurious furniture in the home.

"You walked! But that's so dangerous at night." Ino gasped. She was shocked that anyone would willingly walk alone at night. Especially with the creeps that hung around every corner, at least that's what Chouza told her. She still knew there were plenty all around Konoha that could hurt an innocent pedestrian. It didn't matter the gender of the person. Ino always hated how men believed they were safe at night because they were just as likely to get attacked as a woman. Their gender was just so damn cocky in her opinion.

"I had no problem getting here." He yawned and waited in the archway of the room for her to lead him out. That still didn't ease her worrying.

"But now it's even later and that makes it even worse. I'll call my uncle to drive you home." She offered. Her phone was already searching through her contact list for her uncle's number. He wouldn't deny her request so she knew it wouldn't be a problem.

"That's not really necessary, I'll be fine." He reassured with a roll of his eyes. He didn't understand what she was so worried about. He had walked home in the dark plenty of times and had no issues.

"But it's faster, easier, and safer. Trust me it's no hassle for us." Ino bargained again as they walked down the vast hallway. She wasn't going to let him exit their front door unless it was to Chouza's Mustang.

He pivoted on his foot and turned to face her with a tired expression. "Will it make you happy if I do?" He asked as he leaned against the wall. He smirked when she nodded eagerly and made the phone call.

Shikamaru giving in to the blonde wouldn't be as troublesome as arguing. Besides a ride home meant he would not have to make his lazy limbs do much. He supposed her stubbornness wasn't as bad as he had thought. He just didn't understand what she was so paranoid about, it wasn't like he was going to die from walking home. She was making a very troublesome deal about it.

"Chouza says it's alright, it shouldn't be too long for him to get here." Ino informed after she had hung up from the brief phone call. He didn't even hear her ask him twice. He knew Chouji's dad was named Chouza and assumed they were thinking about the same person.

"He's Chouji's dad by the way. Aren't you two friends?" Ino added and continued the walk to the fourier. Sometimes she really hated how big the house was. It was like a dream to live in when she was seven and obsessed with fairytales and thought the mansion was like a palace. Now the extra space seemed so unnecessary.

"Yeah he's probably my best friend actually. Are you guys?" Shikamaru responded back. Chouji had never really mentioned her before. Sometimes she popped up in some conversations when they were freshman and Shikmaru was trying to get a hang of the new school. But it was like he was just saying facts about her.

"Kinda. We're friendly just not close friends. I mean I don't have a problem with him but we don't hang out or anything like that. We used to spend more time together when our dads were best friends. Chouza is my godfather actually so you can tell just how close they were. My dad chose him over his own brother even." Ino explained. She looked indifferent on the subject like it didn't really bother her even though it squeezed her heart for just a second.

After he father's death Ino tried to distance herself from everything that reminded her of him. That meant lots of sleepovers at Sakura or Hinata's homes, taking less shifts at the family flower shop, hiding their favorite books and films, and pushing away the Akamichis. Luckily it was just before high school started so she could use their different schedules as an excuse. It sucked because they were rather close but seeing him made her remember their family dinners and parties. She had told herself to just give it a year and ease back into her routine. So she actually slept in her own home, starting taking the weekend shift at the flower shop, and even watched one of their favorite comedies. But when she tried to repair her broken friendship it felt like their whole dynamic changed. They had completely different friend groups, activities, and classes so it was hard to reconnect. Eventually she just gave up. The only relationship that had been repaired was her one with Chouza which according to him had never really been hurt. He had still looked out for her and her mother even when they assured him they were fine. Apparently he and Inochi had some sort of oath to take care of the other's family if something happened.

"People grow apart, what can you do about it. Ino shrugged before he could reply. He nodded in agreement but couldn't think of any words to say. He knew what she was saying but not how to respond. Luckily no awkward silence fell on them because the sound of a car horn interrupted them.

"That's him." She stated and stepped out into the chill night. Shikamaru followed at a less eager pace. He already knew who Chouza was after spending so much time with his son. Seeing the massive man in the dark still made him feel uneasy. Chouji was on the fuller side and his dad was double his size. Shikamaru had never felt scrawnier than the first time they met.

"So I see you two have met." The man stated as he held the passenger seat door open for Ino. Shikamaru could tell he was smiling when he got closer to get into the back seat.

"Yeah he helped me with a section for the newspaper." Ino explained while clicking her seat belt in place. She turned around and sighed when she saw he had not mimicked her action. She smiled triumphantly when he finally did.

"All set!" She announced to their driver. He responded by backing out of the large driveway and into the dark road. Shikamaru was surprised by how little light the street had given how expensive the block looked. He assumed they would want maximum security and that included well lit streets. Maybe getting the ride home wasn't as stupid as he had thought after all.

"She wasn't too bossy was she?" Chouza asked to the ponytailed boy in his backseat. Ino's snapped her head to the side to glare at her godfather. She knew she was bossy but didn't like hearing it from anyone else. Someone had to take charge, she just liked being that person.

"Not really." The teen replied with a yawn. He wanted sleep. He wanted it very badly.

"Well that's new. Have you finally stopped being a dictator Ino?" Her godfather teased. He knew everything that riled the little blonde up and exploited them frequently. She let him get away with it though.

"You're making me sound bad, I just met this guy." She whined and sank into their seat in annoyance. Her arms folded over her chest and her glare had yet to leave her plump uncle's face.

"Let him know what he's getting into, don't tell me you acted like a little angel to deceive the poor guy." Chouza sighed and shook his head lightly. He knew she would stoop to that level if she had to. She was a phenomal actress so she could have people under her spell quite easily. However it didn't take much to tick her off so her facade rarely lasted.

"Uncle Chouza!" Ino exclaimed and smacked his arm.

"I'm just giving him a disclaimer." He replied innocently. Shikamaru chuckled to himself in the backseat over their little dispute. He had a suspicion that Ino was more troublesome than she let on and her uncle was confirming that point.

"What else should I know?" Shikamaru questioned. This car ride was proving to be fairly amusing.

"_Don't you dare._" Ino warned with her baby blue eyes narrowed into slits at the large man. Her voice despite being cheerful and bubbly had a scary ring to it that reminded Shikamaru of his mother's.

"Well she obsessed with her grades and will have a meltdown for having a B. She's a horrible cook so if she offers you food I suggest running. She's the dictionary entry for a bossy person. She's as stubborn as a titanium wall when she really wants something. Arguing with her will only lead to physical pain on your part. That includes loss of hearing from her yelling. Hm what else? Oh stay away from group assignments with her, I assume they are hell. But you'll probably get a good grade. And she's also a trouble magnet with a very large variety that attracts to her. I suggest if you ever decide to walk her home that you carry-"

"CHOUZA!"

"Well am I lying?" He chuckled after being rudely interrupted. Ino felt pink radiating off her cheeks as she looked at her lap. She wasn't about to admit defeat but couldn't think of a comeback either.

"_But, _she's also a very loyal friend or so I've heard. She knows how to take care of herself and how to use a microwave so she won't poison herself. She's extremely responsible and organized. I think she's a pleasure to have around as long as you take her orders. She's never bullied anyone. She's very active in school which has rubbed off on several students. I've also gotten advice from her that is pretty decent too. She is a genuinely good girl and I'm very proud to call her my niece." Chouza added in an effort to please his now upset niece. He wasn't lying about any of those points either.

"Way to lay it on thick." Ino scoffed while she rolled her eyes. She was still pleased to hear compliments about herself.

Shikamaru was wondering if this girl was more trouble than he was willing to handle. He'd have to spend more time with her to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

"Forgot your lunch again Ino?" Sakura questioned at their lunch table. She was always the last to arrive since she had to wait in the ridiculously long lunch line. That made both her and Ino mad since it cut into their time together. It was the only time during school hours that the two friends got to see each other. They hated how their schedules just despised the idea of them being together.

Ino had taken up the habit of 'forgetting' her lunch. Sakura had believed it the first day and the next few days after that, however, the excuse was wearing thin for her best friend since they were a month into school. She also knew that Ino had a habit of taking up diets. She had assumed that her lack of lunch food contributed to one that would last a week at best. Ino could never commit to a diet longer than that. Someone would offer her a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing and it would be devoured in a minute.

Sakura knew her best friend wasn't that busy or air headed to forget her lunch on a consistent basis. Maybe on a day of a test or a big project but not just for a regular Tuesday. It was really starting to worry her.

"I'm just so busy, I'll eat when I get home." Ino answered with a shrug. She was a master at making her friends believe nothing was wrong. With enough effort she could even fool Sakura.

It wasn't that Ino didn't want to eat it was just a matter of how her stomach always felt like it was doing backflips around it. She blamed her hectic home life and stressful school life for cutting down her food intake. Even when she got home a couple of granola bars would suffice.

"You're always busy, you were busy last year and you had a lunch." Sakura replied with a quirked eyebrow. Ino had to admit she had a point with that one. But that previous year she didn't have a mother on the crazy train or classes that required hours of studying. She didn't have thoughts of self loathing nipping at the back of her mind or people in her life to agree with them.

"I just don't have the time and effort anymore." Ino answered with her eyes focused on the gray cafeteria wall. There must have been something in her voice that was begging for comfort because Sakura had placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. She then took the apple off her tray and handed it to Ino.

"Thanks." Ino mumbled as she accepted the apple. The glistening coat of red made her mouth water with just a glance.

"You have to eat it, not stare at it." Sakura said after a few long seconds of Ino staring at it. Ino laughed and took a bite. The way that the juice burst into her tongue made her mouth moisten more. She wondered if apples really tasted this good or if her hunger was playing tricks on her. Either way the apple was the most delicious thing she had put to her lips in a long time.

"How is Naruto?" Ino asked trying to change the subject. She desperately needed to keep the subject off her. There were still two more classes to go and she was not ready to be bombarded with questions. Sakura was very pushy with questions especially ones health related. She wanted to be a doctor when she got older.

"Same as ever." Sakura answered smiling. Naruto had been Sakura's latest little crush. Ino couldn't think of a reason why since the pair were complete opposites. Sakura was level headed and no nonsense yet Naruto was the school's class clown.

"Is that a good thing?" Ino joked and Sakura huffed and lightly punched her on the arm.

"Your arm is so thin!" Sakura said shocked. Her emerald eyes widened at her best friend. Ino had always kept her physique slender and fit but now it felt like the size of her arm had halved. No normal diet could have done that to her.

"Hasn't it always been?" Ino questioned nervously. Her sky blue eyes avoided the burning stare of her best friend. Now she knew questions were going to come up. It wouldn't even matter what she answered, Sakura would probably insist on counseling with whatever answer. If Ino was especially unlucky maybe Sakua would even tell her mother.

"You've always been skinny Ino. Just not this skinny." Sakura sighed. She looked at her friend and frowned. She knew something was amiss for the blonde. Ino was always so strong mentally so the pink haired girl couldn't believe she had convinced herself to harm herself like this. Sakura just hoped it could be reversed soon.

"You need to eat more." Sakura decided and handed the rest of her food tray to the blonde. She wasn't going to turn a blind eye this time around.

"I know, I'm just," Ino started and looked at the full tray in front of her. Her stomach was begging her to eat it but her hands were still folded in her lap. It was like her whole body had immobilized her. The fresh coat of grease on the slice of pizza in front of her made her mind disgusted. She would never eat that in a million years. The cup of fruit didn't look fresh and lively like it was supposed to. Even the apple she had just took a bite out of no longer seemed appetizing. It seemed like a sloppy second to her. The small bag of potato chips was just a bag of calories and garbage for the body. Having too many of those would surely ruin her figure, at least she thought so. Same with that pizza and probably month old fruit.

"_Ino_." Sakura warned as she knit her eyebrows together. Ino's bossy tone had rubbed off on her best friend.

"I'm not really hungry right now." The blonde shrugged and pushed the tray back to its original owner.

"I can buy you something else if you want. It's no trouble." Sakura bargained. Ino looked at the food stations in the cafeteria and the only one that seemed remotely appealing was the salad bar. It was still probably week old vegetables and fruit however. Everything else was a grease fest that would ruined her thin frame. That was something she refused to let go.

"That would just waste your money." Ino objected politely. Her eyes scanned the cafeteria and saw that the door way wasn't too far. She could just say she needed to use the restroom and avoid this whole situation. Lunch period would only last another ten minutes. If Sakura tried to deny her request then she'd use her monthly excuse to get out of gym class. That would surely work.

"No it wouldn't." Her friend stated with an even deeper frown.

"Look I'll remember to bring a lunch tomorrow, okay?" Ino groaned and shot her best friend an icy glare. It was the type of glare that she gave her mother when she began to gush about one of her good for nothing boyfriends. It immediately shut her up. Ino was hoping for that effect to work on Sakura too.

"It better be more than a granola bar." Sakura grumbled and snapped her bag of chips open. Her green eyes were glaring at her food even though she would rather be glaring at the platinum blonde beside her. Ino had turned her head to the side so she could apologize when something else across the cafeteria caught her eye.

The dark haired pineapple ponytailed boy from that previous night was looking right at her with his head resting on the palm of his right hand. Ino couldn't make out what emotion his deep brown eyes were emitting to her. Judging by the rest of his facial features he didn't look pleased to be staring at the beautiful blonde like most of his other classmates. She even thought there was almost a worried expression on his face. His gaze hadn't fallen even after she had made eye contact with him. She noted that he didn't even seemed embarrassed to be caught staring. Then she wondered if he had been able to hear their conversation. She doubted it since his table was across the noisy cafeteria. He was also sitting with Naruto and Kiba, two extremely loud individuals. But if he had been staring at her longer than she had realized then he may have seen the whole lunch tray issue. Ino wished she was closer to tell what he was thinking about her.

His face remained a blank canvas even after she raised an eyebrow at him, rolled her eyes, shot him a smile, and finally mustered a wink. His eyes were completely focused on her and she had no idea why. She pondered if her beauty was just _that_ memorizing like the playful exaggerations she gave Sakura. She doubted it because in her mind there were far more beautiful people in their school. TenTen was a tall, chestnut haired girl with a killer tan that lasted all year. Hinata had long thick black hair that was perfectly contrasted by her pale complexion and eyes, and her small height was so much adorable than Ino's. Even Sakura was a unique beauty, her bubblegum pink hair and emerald eye combo made Ino jealous. Luckily she had a massive forehead that Ino could remember whenever she got too down.

To Ino her platinum locks always made her fair skin looked even more pale and not in a good way. Her large baby blue eyes looked like they belonged on a doll and not a real person. Even her physique that Sakura called too skinny still had lots of pounds that could be lost. She blamed her parents genes for her just below average height that made people like Sasuke tower over her. It wasn't cute, it was a pain in the ass. So what 'beauty' was he starting at? Ino thought with horror that maybe he was trying to search for it and that's why he spent most of their time together completely focused on her.

His eyes had a certain intensity that Ino couldn't explain. It made heat radiate off her cheeks and she knew they were growing pinker. Her brain was telling her to look away but she couldn't tear her eyes away. They were locked with his in some sort of stare off that made Ino feel oddly exposed. It felt almost intimate and that thought made her cheeks feel like they were on fire.

"What are you staring at?" TenTen asked curiously. Ino forgot that she was not the only person at that table.

"Um, n-nothing." Ino's stammered as she turned to face the brunette. Her eyes didn't like the new person they were looking at. She wondered if he had moved on to something else or was now staring at the back of her head. She couldn't a side glance in fear she would be busted for staring at a boy.

TenTen had peered in the general direction fo Ino's stares but saw nothing special. The table she thought the blonde had been looking at was just filled with a bunch of boys with their heads down on their phones. She hadn't caught the little smirk on the ponytailed boy's face.


	6. Chapter 6

Ino felt more drained than usual as she leaned against her locker after her final period. Each class seemed to go on forever at a snail's pace, even her art class couldn't brighten her mood. She was used to being tired after class but not to this extent. Maybe it was her argument with Sakura during lunch that made her whole body feel weak. Maybe she could excuse herself from her sports and just go home. She hadn't done that since freshman year. Then she remembered she also had a mandatory student council meeting to go to. It was especially mandatory for the class president. At least that would take up the majority of volleyball practice so only cheerleading would be left. Still Ino was in no mood to feign peppiness and do somersaults. She supposed she could just tell that coach about her state and she'd understand. After all Ino had the best attendance record in the entire school so whenever she did miss a class or activity it was completely alright with the staff. She suspected they even liked some of her absences.

She hadn't even realized that she had shut her eyes to the busy hallway until she felt her shoulder being tapped but couldn't see the culprit. She couldn't manage her eyes to open more than halfway as she turned slightly to the side. The blonde wasn't sure who she had expected to see but Shikamaru didn't seem like the one. Well actually from her half lidded and shortened view she could really only make out his jaw and school blazer. However that lunch period had made her more than acquainted with his face so she knew it was him.

"You really shouldn't sleep in the hallway." He scolded in his usual monotoned voice. Ino attempted to roll her eyes but knew the product was weak. She had caught him snoozing away in their third period.

"I wasn't." Ino mumbled as she lifted herself off the lockers. She immediately regretted losing her support but refused to slouch back. She assumed she probably already looked like hell but was using every ounce of her strength to keep from feeling like how she looked.

"Do you need to go to the nurse? You don't look so good." He questioned with an eyebrow raised. _Damn, do I really look that bad? _

"No I'm fine." Ino objected weakly. She was really regretting standing without the support of the lockers, her legs had never felt so fragile before. It was like they were jelly, no not even that, it was like they ice cream slowly melting. Soon enough they wouldn't be able to hold her upright.

"Are you sure?" He asked skeptically. He judged her sickly pale complexion and shaky stance and knew she was lying. When he tore his eyes away from her to scan the hallway he found it to be nearly empty. Surely people had observed her like he had, did they not care? She looked like she was about to collapse when he had eyed her leaning against the lockers. He was positive he wasn't the first to spot her.

He had expected her to lie again and try to assure him she was fine. She'd probably muster up one of her gorgeous smiles and scurry to one of her many after school activities. Instead he got, "I'm not sure." Her voice was no longer upbeat and cheerful, instead it sounded shaky and fearful. When he looked back at her he saw that her eyes were glasses over, like they were cups filled up the brim with tears. Her frame had slouched back against the lockers in defeat.

Despite his genius IQ, Shikamaru had no idea what to do. He wasn't the type to offer encouraging words to cheer her up. Was he supposed to take her to the nurse? He didn't even know what was wrong with her. Whatever it was it seemed more than just illness.

Her baby blue eyes were looking at him like a lost puppy. He kept his face calm and still in an effort to have it rub off on her. The thin stream of teardrops that fell from her right eye made his heart sink. _What's going on?_

"Ino..." He began as he moved closer to the blonde. Chouji had told them girls liked comfort when they cried. What kind of comfort that was Shikamaru was unsure. He decided to go with his gut and reached a hand to touch a shoulder. They had done stuff like that in movies so he hoped it worked.

His fingerprints had just brushed her shoulder when she shrugged him off. His hand that was still deep in his pocket clenched, he hated being wrong. Especially in this case.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." She assured and wiped the stray tears away with her sleeve. Then came her one of famous smiles that made Shikamaru's heart skip a beat, except this time it didn't. He knew it was fake, _very_ fake. And he also knew the girl was far from fine. The wall she had just let down for a brief moment was now back bigger and stronger.

"You're lying." He stated bluntly.

"I think I've just got a little cold. That's probably why my eyes keep watering. I'll just take some medicine when I get home. No big deal." She shrugged. Cheerfulness was radiating off her small frame, well false cheerfulness. Shikamaru wondered if this false aura was the one she showcased on a daily basis. He guessed none of his peers noticed. In fact he had never noticed until that precise moment.

"I'm going to be late for student council so see ya Shikamaru!" Ino called and hurried off down the hall. She had turned the corner before he even registered what she had said. He contemplated going after her but decided to leave it be. He'd figure her out sooner or later and see just how troublesome she truly was. He estimated that she even more trouble than his mother and that woman was off the charts.


	7. Chapter 7

Shikamaru was really hating his locker postion. Sasuke's fan girls were always crowding his locker and all the surrounding ones. Shikamaru had one of those poor lockers. Dozens of his teammates would hang around his locker. He really didn't understand why since Sasuke ignored all of them. Currently only a few girls Shikamaru could now sadly recognize by the their consistency of showing up to the boy's locker before classes started. They were giggling about how cool he was. Sasuke had yet to make an appearnce.

"Oh come on Ino, just skip first period with me." A familiar voice bargained. It was cold and monotoned, which meant it was Sasuke. Shikamaru turned around to see him and Ino walking down the hall hand in hand. Judging by Ino's expression she didn't want to.

"I shouldn't." Ino objected and shook her head. Classes were important to her especially since it was the beginning of the school year. She wanted to start on the right foot.

"You're always complaining about us not spending time together. I promise I'll have you back by second period." Sasuke groaned. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered getting a girlfriend in the first place. Ino was one of his more mild admirers so he chose her thinking the relationship would be easy. He didn't realize that she wanted something more exclusive.

"What do you even want to do?" Ino asked. She did want to spend at least a little time with her _boyfriend_. That was a very rare occurrence nowadays.

"Well that's a surprise. Are you coming or not?" He replied smoothly. He smirked when he saw Ino bite her lip. She was looking for a reason not to join him but he was making it so hard. As much as an annoyance it was to have girls flock him, it was pretty nice to know that he had them wrapped around his finger.

"You promise it will just be first period?" Ino questioned. Her first period was just English so the work wouldn't be hard to make up. Besides Profesor Hatake was the most aloof teacher in the entire school.

"Yep, we'll slip in during passing period and no one will notice." Sasuke assured. Shikamaru could no longer hear them as they turned the corner. From what he had observed of Ino she didn't strike him as a rule breaker. If anything she seems very strict about them. He knew there was a chance he was mistaken but he behavior seemed so strange to him.

Whatever the case may be it wasn't like he had to get involved. He never joined in on matters that didn't concern him. Those kinds of things only brought trouble and he wanted none of that,

* * *

Sneaking out of the school was surprisingly easy for the couple. Ino thought at least some security guard would spot them but no one batted an eyelash. Leaving the campus was also a breeze for Sasuke and Ino. It really made the blonde doubt her school's security system. Most people had already headed off to work so the streets were fairly empty. One shopkeeper had raised an eyebrow but Sasuke covered for them.

"So where are we going?" Ino asked curiously as they got further and further away from the campus. Ino felt uneasy once the school was too far out of her viewpoint. Would they make it back in time? What could they do if they wed wasting so much time getting away from the school?

"My house." Her boyfriend replied nonchalantly. Ino felt a knot in her stomach, his home was rarely their hang out spot. He lived by himself for the most part. His older brother sent him money for expenses monthly but only visited twice a year. His parents had died when he was seven. Ino's mother had strictly forbidden for her daughter to spend time alone in that house with him. It was one of the woman's very few rules for Ino. Still Ino followed every rule because her head would be on a stick otherwise.

"Are you sure? That's kind of far from school. We could go to the library instead." Ino offered nervously. Even if it hadn't been a rule the idea of being completely alone with a boy made her uneasy. It didn't help that she couldn't call her uncle, he'd be just as pissed as her mother would be.

"Relax I left my car there so we can drive back. Besides what fun would we have at the library?" He muttered and rolled his eyes. What fun is he planning us to have at his house?

"But security could hear that. We really shouldn't be this far. Just in case you know?" Ino persisted. She knew her voice was pleading at this point. She cursed at herself for not listening to her conscience.

Ino had once been glad the streets were empty but now she wished they were packed. If that were the case then she wouldn't be so paranoid about Sasuke's intentions. She had been dating the guy for six months and could barely understand him. But breaking up with him would just cause unnecessary drama and rumors.

Her soft blue eyes were looking for any form of life and besides a few squirrels there was nothing. She hadn't noticed Sasuke mimicking her gesture with his charcoal eyes. The area was deserted. When he looked over at his girlfriend her body was oddly tense. Had she always stood with her thighs pressed tightly together and her hands crossed over her chest? He couldn't remember. He didn't expect her to be this fidgety after all they had been together for six months. He assumed she was comfortable around him by now. He also assumed most women in his age group adored him. He had a line of them following him everywhere after all. All of them would've jumped at the chance to be intimate with him.

"Well I suppose right here works." He observed after taking one last cautionary glance over the area. Ino knew the feeling of butterflies in her stomach, it was usually acquainted with neves that would ease quickly or be out of joy. The feeling of bats in her stomach was the negative counterpart to it. It was like a sense of paranoia had overcome her and was threatening to swallow her whole.

Just as Ino opened her mouth to ask for a clarification, Sasuke had pulled her into the nearest alleyway, and that turned her question into a squeak of surprise. All common sense ran out of her mind when he pinned her to the wall of an apartment complex. She trusted him, at that she convinced herself she did. He wouldn't do something stupid, again she convinced herself.

"W-what are you doing?" Ino asked once she regained her voice. Well at least enough of it to whisper. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his cool breath on her lips. Shivers went up her arms and down her spine as his hands went from her shoulders up her neck and up to her face. She hoped they were the good kind.

Since he didn't answer her question the first time she was about to ask it again when his head tipped down and their lips brushed. His tongue worked it's way into her mouth. Ino blushed at how forward he was, their kisses never intensified. Still something felt so wrong about this whole ordeal. Why was their first real kiss in an alleyway during a skipped class period?

Despite her hesitation Ino found herself leaning into the kiss and closing the already tiny gap between them. She was confused when he pushed her back against the brick wall but kept no gap between them this time. The position was extremely uncomfortable for the blonde. Her brunette boyfriend didn't seem to notice or care if he did. His hands trailed down her neck again until they had both her breasts cupped in his hands. Her eyes flew open and she pried his hands off quickly. She wasn't ready for that just yet.

"Come on Ino, don't you trust me?" Sasuke asked, obviously irritated.

"Yes, but I'm not comfortable with that." She stated in an even tone. She had always been told to stand her ground and she was not about to give away her virtue in an alleyway. She wanted this intimacy to be with someone that cared about her feelings and she knew Sasuke didn't. If she let him have his way then she'd be sacrificing her pride.

"Aren't you the one that flaunts crop tops on a daily basis?" Sasuke smirked and pulled his wrists from her grip. He was surprised by her strength given their obvious size difference.

"That doesn't have anything to do with this." Ino snapped and brushed past him. She knew agreeing to this was a mistake. She had expected him to take it in stride and return to school with her. She handy expected him to hug her from behind and place kisses on her neck and collarbone.

"Fine I'm sorry, breasts are off limits. I promise I'll be more careful." Sasuke bargained. Ino knew better than to fall for this act it couldn't bring herself to escape his grip. Maybe he was being honest. She leaned her back against him and enjoyed the kisses he was lavishing her with, completely oblivious to the dark glint in his eye.


	8. Chapter 8

Shikamaru found himself staring at the clock in his first period with an unusual intensify. The minute hand was moving painfully slow as he continue to glare at it. There was roughly ten minutes left in the class and on most occasions he would be dozing off already. It wasn't like there was much to do in this period since it was just literature which meant they were reading from some play that he'd catch up on later that night. That would've given him ample time for a nap but instead he found his eyes wide open and peering at the clock in the front of the classroom. Each second placed another odd feeling in his stomach. It had become highly uncomfortable within a few minutes but now it was hardly bearable. He wasn't sure of the particular reason for it but his mind kept flashing back to earlier that morning. Ino and Sasuke had snuck off school grounds but there was something strange about the encounter. Sasuke had pushed the idea and for whatever reason Ino had accepted despite her squeaky clean reputation. Something just didn't feel right especially when he remebered the nervousness in her blue eyes and the sly smirk on his pale face. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was happening to them. Well actually he couldn't have cared less about Sasuke but he was worried about his blonde girlfriend. Why he was, well he wasn't sure but the feeling in his stomach only intensified when he thought about the idea. He supposed at the moment it wasn't his place to worry, Sasuke had promised to be back in school before second period and first period was yet to be over. Ino was in Shikamaru's next class so he'd know if the Uchiha kept his word and if he hadn't then Shikamaru would really start to worry.

* * *

"Sasuke can you stop for a sec?" Ino asked harshly. They were still in the same alleyway and the eeriness of it was really starting to give her a bad feeling. So were the feverish kisses her boyfriend was trying to plant all over her body. Something felt off about the whole situation and Ino didn't like it. It was beginning to be too much for her to handle, she wasn't ready for anything intimate like this.

"What is it now?" Sasuke growled and shot her a steely glare. He was throughouly agitated by how slow this process was. He thought she'd be in the palm of his hand after one hot kiss. He was very wrong. Maybe she wasn't as into him as she let on.

"I already told you I'm not comfortable with how forward you're being. Can't you just slow down a bit?" She questioned and gently pushed his chest to give her an extra inch of space since he had taken it all up when his hormones kicked in.

"Why should I? I'm enjoying myself." He scoffed and brought his leg between her thighs as he pushed her back against the brick wall. She yelped in surprise as his hands planted on the hips keeping her in place. Yes, she definitely wasn't ready for this.

"Because I'm not! Don't you care about my feelings at all!" She shouted, now she was getting scared. He gave no answer and bunched the fabric of her skirt in his fist to rise it higher up her thigh. Her own hand flew down to catch his wrist before her panties were exposed. He had still stretched the fabric enough that it know slid down her hip on the left side much to her dismay.

"You're so annoying." He grumbled and raised a hand to the collar of her blouse and promptly tore it to expose her right shoulder and the top of her lavender bra. He ignored her squeak of disapproval and her plead for him to stop.

"I'm your boyfriend Ino, why can't you just trust me?" He sighed and moved his knee higher into her skirt.

That's when she reached her limit, using every ounce of strength in her body she thrust him forward into the opposite wall and away from her. Her eyes widened in vague surprise when he lost his balance and fell to the cement floor as well. Then using his moment of shock to her advantage she sprinted out of the alley at a neck breaking speed. She felt the urge to cry but knew it would just hinder her escape so she pushed it down and bolted down the street. She was thankful the street was empty so no one could see the indecent displays of her undergarments as they peeked through her wrecked clothes. Her feet carried her around the corner past the house for sale on Mapel Road and the bank. Her lungs were begging on their knees for her to slow her pace but she refused to listen. She peeked over her shoulder and saw Sasuke had recovered from his shock and was now chasing. She was still far ahead of him but that wouldn't be the case for long. He was star sprinter on the track team for a reason.

She ran blindly through the streets with no sense of where she was going. She just wanted to get away from her pursuer. She never fully trained the guy but never thought he would try something as horrid as that.

Ino heard Sasuke shout her name and could know hear his footsteps among hers. She inwardly cursed and sharply turned another corner in an effort to lose him. Instead she felt her ankle twist at the sudden move and she cried out in pain. If he hadn't already seen her then he surely heard her. Now she really felt like crying, she couldn't catch even the slightest bit of breath and her ankle was throbbing as she leaned against the wall in defeat.

His footsteps filled her eardrums with doom as they grew louder. She could tell they were not running at a full speed anymore, he knew she was done running so why bother. His long legs could easily beat her injured ones.

"H-how did you learn to run like that." He huffed when he met her in the alley. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the exerted effort of sprinting a far too long distance. No words came out of her heaving mouth, she still couldn't breathe and felt like she was being held underwater. He was moving towards slowly just trying to torment her more by prolonging his victory. Or maybe he was moving slowly since all her senses were seeking to fail her, why was she so dizzy?

However one sense came through clearly, touch. As soon as his hand clamped down on her wrist she felt one last burst of energy rise in her chest and ripped her arm from his grasp and ran out of the dark alley and into a new street. She didn't last longer than that before her ankle reminded her of its injury and made her fall over into the road. Bringing her knees to her chest she laid helplessly on the ground with nothing but clenched lungs and breathless shudders. She squeezed her blue eyes shut to give false comfort that no one was walking closer to her. The tears she had pushed back now seeping through her shut lids and down her cheeks.

She could sense his presence looming over her body but also knew he was just standing there. What was he waiting for? Agonizing seconds turned into minutes and nothing was happening to her. But then he kneeled beside her and she knew she wouldn't stand a chance at protecting herself. She couldn't even scream for someone else to protect her since the only sounds escaping her lips were gasps for air.

"Get _the hell_ away from her!" A low threatening voice ordered from behind them. Ino felt like she recognized it but she couldn't place her finger on it. Whoever it belonged to didn't matter to her though. All that mattered was that her mysterious hero keep Sasuke far away from her.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sasuke spat back viciously. Whoever this guy was Sasuke obviously didn't like him. That only made her like him even more. She heard footsteps come behind her to where she assumed Sasuke was. Ino noted that he had stood up. Still she refused to pry her eyes open to see her rescuer, she wanted to wait until Sasuke had left. She couldn't bear to look at him.

"Ino wasn't in second period so I came to look for her. I had a bad feeling about you and I guess I'm correct." The other man replied smugly, his voice was still dangerously deep. Ino swore she knew this voice but something seemed off about it.

"And what do you mean by that, do tell." Sasuke groaned and stepped back. Having more distance between them made Ino feel relieved.

"Well I've never liked you, you always seemed like sort of an ass. But judging by the state of your _girlfriend_, now I'm sure that you are far worse than that." he answered and added extra emphasis on her title. It was like it was a joke to him. It was to her as well.

"So what are you going to do about it?" he provoked. Ino wasn't positive but she believed he was moving closer to the other boy like a lion hunting a gazelle.

"I won't have to do anything if you go away. Never touch Ino again and I won't give you any trouble." The boy replied nonchalantly. Now that tone was something Ino knew of but still no face matched the voice. It was extremely frustrating for the blonde.

"I doubt you'd be able to give me trouble either way." Sasuke sniffed in arrogance. Ino expected another tough response out of this guy, and she did just not like she imagined. She heard bone connecting to more bone; a fist to the face. Sasuke had given a grunt of pain before falling down onto the ground beside her.

"Huh, I wouldn't have expected that out of someone like you. Fine take her for all I care, she's a pain in the ass anyway." Sasuke grumbled as he stood back up. Ino then heard his footsteps carry him away from both her and her unknown hero.

Her tears had already stopped and her breathing was now making an effort to calm. Well at least I'm not a complete wreck, she thought as she uncurled herself from her little ball. She felt big hands on her shoulders as they pulled her up into a sitting postion against the front of her mysterious hero. Something felt so familiar about him as she unknowingly curled into him.

"Thank you so much..." She began and realized she had yet to see who she was supposed to be thanking. In the movies the girl would slowly flutter her eyelids and have him come into view from a blur to finally focusing on his face. Well Ino wasn't in a movie and she burst her eyelids open to see her rescuer. Shikamaru Nara. She knew the voice was familiar and so was the smell of cedar on his clothes.

"Shikamaru." She finished with an eternally grateful smile. She knew a blush was on her cheeks but she didn't mind as she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed in gratitude. For some reason Ino thought she would be more surprised that it was him but it felt strangely natural that he was the one protecting her. She wasn't sure why yet.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, completely dismissing her thanks. His deep brown eyes were glazed in concern as he took in her desperate state. She didn't look that bad lying on the ground, had he known what Sasuke had truly done he would've killed him on the spot. He felt this overwhelming feeling of protectiveness for this girl all of the sudden. No one was going to touch her for the next millennium.

"Oh not really, I think I twisted my ankle but it should be fine." Ino relied oddly cheerfully given the event she had just experienced. She couldn't let him know how much it was hurting her on the inside, she never let anyone know what caused her pain. She'd handle the grief at some other time when she was alone. For the time being she had to convince him she was alright.

"Yeah I saw you fall. But I mean did he hurt you, like you know..." He mumbled not sure how to ask. He looked over her ripped clothes, particularly the torn collar of her blouse that gave an ample view of her bra. Bashful my he turned his attention back to her face. There was bleeding scratch on her face that he assumed she got when she fell, at least he hoped that's why.

"Well he tried but I fought him off. That's when he started chasing me and I twisted my ankle and you came and saved me. You're quite the hero might I add." She denied with a very sweet smile. Shikamaru noted that even covered in dirt and bruises she was still ungodly beautiful. Her sky blue eyes popped especially as they twinkled at him.

"Maybe we should go to a doctor." He suggested and shifted his postion to get up. Ino's hand gripping his arm pulled him back down.

"I'm fine, really." She stated. That wasn't enough to convince him.

"But you're pretty banged up Ino. Besides we need to tell someone what happened." Shikamaru objected and pulled the blonde up with him. She winced when the pressure hit her ankle and clutched his arm harder for support.

"It might be broken or sprained." He observed when he peered at her rapidly swelling ankle.

"I doubt that. I'll just ice it when I get home. Speaking of which you wouldn't mind walking me back would you?" She asked already knowing he'd agree. He'd have to be a bastard to say no and she knew he was not.

"Of course, but are you sure you don't want to stop by the police station first. Or Chouji's dad maybe?" Shikamaru questioned with an eyebrow raised. Surely she would want to report what Sasuke did to her and get some justice. He wasn't sure why she hadn't already suggested it.

"Nope. Actually I was thinking we could keep this whole thing quiet for awhile. It would just cause so much drama."

Shikamaru blinked absently several times, he couldn't believe what she just said. What drama was worse than reporting an assailant? He couldn't think of a damn thing.

"That is a terrible idea Ino. Do you know what else he could do to you other girls. He's trouble and needs to be punished for it." He objected firmly. He's report the guy himself if he had to. He wasn't going to let him hurt Ino ever again, it could also serve as a warning for any other guy that wanted to try. The girl would be protected, he would make utterly sure of it.

"Well yes, but it's just I can't handle it right now. I was so, so scared Shikamaru and I just want to forget it all happened at least for a little while. And if I do tell what happened who knows what he'll do to me, he can much worse. You can understand that right?" Ino replied trying her hardest to play up the terrified girl card. If she could make herself look like she desperately needed this then maybe Shikamaru would allow it. It worked a lot in movies so she hoped it would work in real life to.

"I guess if he really scares you that much then waiting might not be that bad. But also if that's the case then you should get some help though. I say that in the nicest way possible." Shikamaru agreed and shot a worried glance at her.

"What, like a bodyguard?" Ino asked with a cocked head. She wasn't quite sure what he was getting at beside uncle Chouza was essentially her bodyguard. She'd never tell him about Sasuke though, that would be a scary sight.

"More like a therapist or at the very least someone to talk to about it." Shikamaru replied now looking at the sky nervously.

"But I don't really have someone like that and if anyone found out I went to a therapist so many rumors would come out." Ino objected once again. It was strange to have someone care about her like that. Most people would just turn a blind eye but he honestly wants her to feel safe and okay. She sort of liked the foreign feeling.

"Well I'll listen if you want."


	9. Chapter 9

"Ow, ow, ow!" Ino whimpered as Shikamaru applied Neosporin to the cut on cheek. She never understood why something that was meant to treat wounds stung so badly. Once he was done interrogating her about the state her injuries received from her encounter with Sasuke earlier and she assured him they weren't bad enough to go to the hospital, Shikamaru decided as he escorted her back home that he would personally bandage her up. He had even carried her on his back for the last block after her ankle began to agonize her. Now as Ino sat on her bathroom counter, clutching an ice pack to her twisted ankle, he was keeping his word. He had already cleaned off the dirt and dust on her pale face and helped her up her stairs so she could get fresh clothes. He then carried her back down and set her on the counter.

"Sorry." He mumbled and grabbed a bandage. He carefully placed it onto her wound and proceeded to look over the rest of them. He wondered if she really got all of them by falling down. Sure it was a pretty nasty on but he saw several bruises and some scrapes on the back of her body. She couldn't have gotten those by falling face first into the road. However he decided not to push it and re-washed his hands to treat the next injury. He debated between her hands or knees, both were scratched but no longer bleeding so it shouldn't be too bad.

"Hands or knees?" He asked as he dried his hands on her unusually soft towels. Was everything in her house posh?

"Hands I guess." She shrugged and set the ice pack beside her. She winced as the cool sensation left her swollen ankle.

"Okay put them under the water. We've got to clean them up first." He ordered and brought her hands under the warm water. He couldn't help the frown that formed on his face when she winced. He hated seeing her in pain especially after knowing the cause.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me out like this." Ino professed. Shikamaru felt butterflies flutter in his stomach when she turned to smile at him.

"That's not really necessary." He replied and shook his head. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from someone. Averting his eyes from her admiring gaze, he grabbed another cloth to dry her hands. When he looked over her scraped palms from the gravel.

"Well sure it is. You were a real lifesaver back there. And even now you're like my personal doctor." She giggled. She wondered why he was being so bashful since most guys she knew would be bathing in her admiration. He definitely was a strange guy but she liked him.

He gave a sniff of acknowledgment and patted each hand dry extremely carefully. He didn't want to irritate the raw skin further by being rough.

"This is going to sting." Shikamaru warned and reached for the Neosporin again. Ino bit her lip to keep from whimpering again as he spread the ointment on her sore palms as gently as he could.

"Do you have any gauze? It'll probably be better than a bunch of bandages." He asked with his signature monotone.

"Yep, top drawer to the left." She guided.

Once Shikamaru had located the gauze he began to wrap it tentatively around her much smaller hand. He knew it was much smaller since it could fit in the one he placed under it to make the wrapping process easier. He smiled slightly to himself whenever a finger would quirk and her soft skin would brush against his.

"All right you can put the ice on your ankle again. How's it feeling by the way?" He asked when he dropped to one knee in front of her. She fought down a small gasp but couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. She really couldn't believe how much of a sweetheart he was. He definitely didn't strike her as one.

"It doesn't hurt that much anymore. I haven't walked on it yet so I'm not positive about that though." She shrugged. The ice was helping the swelling but it was still bothering her to a much higher extent than she let on. She didn't want Shikamaru to worry about her even more than he was already. Maybe it was sprained after all.

"That's good. We can see how it feels once I'm done here." Shikamaru replied and pressed a cloth to her bleeding knee to compress the blood flow.

"You know that was quite the fall you took." He commented as he motioned for Ino to hand him a damp cloth to clean the dirt off the scrapes.

"Yeah I know." She mumbled and handed him the cloth. Her mother would give her hell for dirtying all their wash clothes, well if she ever bothered to come home and check up on her. Ino knew that was wishful thinking.

"Did it hurt?" He asked and then mentally kicked himself for asking such a dumb question. He was lousy at small talk after all. But awkward chit chat was better than awkward silence so he continued. It wasn't this hard to talk to Chouji or Naruto though.

To his surprise she didn't answer with an obvious remark but kept silent. He raised an eyebrow when he looked up and saw what he assumed was her deep in thought. Maybe the subject was still too touchy for her.

"Well now it does but I didn't really notice at the time." Ino replied simply. With all the other chaos that had gone on she hadn't even noticed the extent of her injuries much less feel them. Now it was all coming at once much to her annoyance.

"You know if you hurried you could make it back to school before lunch." She commented as he placed bandages on her knees. She didn't want to be a burden to him after all. She'd probably call herself in sick the next day and take the day to relax and get Sasuke off her mind.

"What makes you think I want to go back?" He chuckled. Ino rolled her eyes at his remark. She then remembered him telling her about his lazy streak. Ino couldn't comprehend why he hated school since she adored it. She could live her fantasy of a perfect life there; tons of friends, great grades, captain of her sports teams, lots of extracurriculars that will look amazing on her college application, and of course her home life was far away for at least eight hours.

To her utter surprise Shikamaru placed his hands on waist and lifted her off the sink. They immediately reverted into his pockets as soon as her bare feet felt the cool tile of her bathroom floor. His eyes also moved to look at that role as well. Even though his touch was brief and barely more than a second it still sent pleasurable shivers up her spine. She wondered how it would've felt if she was wearing one of her crop tops instead of an oversized orange t-shirt. The thought got quickly pushed down when she felt heat radiate in her cheeks.

"So you're just going to go home?" Ino asked curiously as she limped mildly out of the bathroom. She assumed it really was just a twist of the ankle and nothing more serious than that. There would be a lot more pain if that were the case.

"Nah my mom had the day off and she'd have my head on a stick if I showed up. She gets all worked up whenever I cut classes. I guess I can go to the park and watch clouds." Shikamaru mumbled as he walked behind her in case she lost her balance. He was beginning to hate the wobble in her step and the reserved look in her eyes. He couldn't blame her given the current situation but that still made him bitter.

"But I can stay here if you need anything." He added reassuringly. Ino was unaware at the sincerity of his eyes or the worried pout on his lips. He hid them when she turned to face him with her radiant looks.

"I think I'll be alright. I'll just lock the doors and whatnot." She objected hastily. Of course she would like the Shikamaru to stay around. For some reason she wondered about he made her feel not exactly perfectly safe like her father did but he did make her feel protected if something were to happen. It was similar to how uncle Chouza made her feel but there was a warmer feeling in her stomach with this stoic boy. However she wasn't going to force him to stick around. He had done enough already.

"Are you sure?" He asked once more. He had to make sure this girl he barely knew was going to be okay. He wouldn't leave her side until that happened.

"Well maybe just until school would be over."


	10. Chapter 10

"So you wanna watch a movie or something?" Ino asked as she limped to the room with the largest tv in her mansion. She considered it the ''main' room since it was where most visitors hung around and where she could catch up on her tv shows. It was also her father's favorite room in the house so it was precious to her.

"I guess." Shikamaru replied with his usual monotoned voice. He figured Ino wouldn't be up for talking that much so a movie wouldn't be the worst idea to spend his time. He didn't regret staying with Ino though, in fact it gave him peace of mind knowing he could assist her if Sasuke came around. He still wasn't quite sure what happened between them but he did know how upsetting it was for the bandaged girl walking him around her house. That's all he needed to know to stay by her side and confirm that he did not like that Uchiha.

"What's your favorite genre?" She asked once she spotted her cabinet full of films. Her parents were major film junkies back when they were still together and everything was good. Some of her best memories were watching cartoons with them on their cream sofa. From princesses to talking animals to superhero films there was always a bowl of popcorn and two hours worth of smiles. When she looked back on the movies she realized how boring they must've been to them but knowing they muscled through them for her meant the world to her. In fact every piece of her childhood was treasured.

"Doesn't really matter, I like pretty much anything." He shrugged. While he didn't care about genres he did care about the quality of films. He was extremely critical. If the acting or scriptwriting was terrible than a movie was unbearable to him. However he could watch an amazing movie twice in a row if it was up to his high standards. His dad used to joke he could be a film critic given how much he nitpicked movies.

"Well I could use some comedy, is that okay?" Ino stated as she skimmed the titles in alphabetical order. Some were so old that Ino didn't even remember they existed while others were freshly bought by her. She personally loved romances but comedies were a close second and given how miserable her day had been she really needed a good laugh.

"Go for it." He permitted and sunk into the sofa. It was the perfect blend of fluffiness and firmness which his stiff bones appreciated. He could get used to the comfort of this place.

"So you're alright with missing the rest of school? You don't have any clubs after?" The blonde asked once again. Shikamaru grunted affirmatively despite being annoyed at how frequently she asked that question. He had promised to stay with her until school was over. That meant he'd be staying with her for another three hours or more if she requested him to.

"I guess I had this tutoring thing but I can rain check it. No biggy." He shrugged. He figured Asuma was chill enough that he could get himself out of trouble. He could certainly think of some clever excuse within twenty four hours. In fact he could probably do it in twenty four minutes.

"Oh crap I had that too! Plus cheerleading practice and I promised Sakura I'd do some line reading with her. Sure the play is in a couple of months but she really needs some practice you know? I haven't been practicing as much as I should and I'm the lead for crying out loud." Ino cried much more dramatically than Shikamaru would've expected. It was no wonder she got the lead. But seriously how much did this girl do?

"Relax there's no need to be so dramatic it's just one day. I'm sure your tutoring friends, cheerleading and Sakura can manage a day without you." He sighed and waved a hand to prove his point.

He hated activities so how could someone care about them so much to get stressed out over them? It seemed rather ridiculous to him.

"But there's so much that has to be done in just one day. _I don't do breaks_." Ino fired back quickly. Nothing would get done without her vigilant watch and authority. Everyone knew that. That's why she overworked herself to make everyone else look good. "Maybe I could sneak back in school, Sasuke said it isn't that hard to do." She added as an afterthought. She could get back for her last two periods and then do her extracurriculars. Those were her top priority.

"No way." A monotoned voice objected from behind her. She had briefly forgotten he was sitting on her sofa when she got lost in her thoughts.

"Oh come on it isn't good to miss school." Ino whined. It was rare for someone to say 'no' to her and she didn't like it on bit. Her pursed lips and roll of her baby blue eyes made this clear to Shikamaru.

"You have a good reason." He replied coldly.

He couldn't believe how much she was jumping around on her perspective of the situation. One minute she was assuring him she was fine even after he witnessed her scraped up and petrified on the floor while he boyfriend loomed over her with no doubt only bad intentions in his mind. The next she was on the verge of tears begging him to not tell anyone about what he saw since she was terrified of what he'd do. Then she was silent on the topic as he bandaged her up. It had been her idea to wait the day out in her house and not go back to school. She had even set up a movie for them to watch to distract her. Now she trying to do that exact opposite. Yes, Ino Yamanaka was a very peculiar girl and also one that he was going to make his mission to figure out.

"Well yes I do but I can't tell that to the principal. I already told you I want this to stay between us and Sasuke. There's no way he'd confess so it's just between us. So I need to tone the damage as much as I can." She tried to reason but saw his skeptical glance only grew. In fact it was becoming more of a glare. She didn't like how his dark eyes sharpened like the point of a pencil and his lips were turned downwards in a scowl. She wondered what his problem was.

"You're not going back." He stated with more authority than she thought he possessed. Hell it was on par with hers and that was an accomplishment. Her retort was caught in the back of her throat when he stood up and crossed the room in two long strides. He had the ability to see over her head clearly yet his gaze was boring down on her instead of the deep crimson wallpaper. His hands were tucked in his pockets but she could tell they were clenched by the slight bulge.

She didn't think she was that short until he stood in front of her. _How tall ishe? Maybe a solid 5'10 or 5'11 even. Probably not six feet, Sasuke is and he's taller than Shikamaru by a little. So why am I only at his shoulder? This is ridiculous. And when is he gonna stop staring at me, this is the second time. I've really got to tell him off for it. _

"You're not the b-boss of me." She snapped. She promptly cursed at her stutter. She had never stuttered like that before. Sure she'd mess up a word or two during a speech or when reciting a poem from memeory but normal conversations were a breeze. So why was this so difficult?

"I know but going back is an incredibly stupid idea that I'm not going to let you do." He stated firmly. His eyes not leaving her just yet. If she was going to look him in the eye then he'd stare at her until she did. He could tell her focus was on his ear as a fake sign of eye contact.

He had to give it to her, that mask she wore was damn near indestructible. No emotion was being given off whatsoever. And she was always so full of it that it was bizarre. He hadn't known her very long but from what he had observed until very recently was that she wore her emotions on her sleeve but they were always a branch of happiness. But it was all false. Maybe the two of them weren't that different in that aspect.

"Listen Ino, I get these activities are important to you but you and I both know you're not going to enjoy them today so what's the point?" He reasoned. Ino crossed her arms like a child that just realized they were wrong after a long tantrum.

"The point isn't to enjoy them." She whispered bitterly. That hadn't been the point since freshman year.

"Then what is?"

"That's none of your business".


	11. Chapter 11

Ino submerged herself into the steaming bubble bath she had prepared. It was her ultimate tool for relaxing after a stressful day and the one she had experienced fit the bill. She contemplated turning on the jacuzzi jets once she had found a comfortable position in the large tub. Zen had already washed over her by that point and she didn't feel like moving her body even a few inches to hit a button. Besides the lavender bubbles were already making her feel as luxurious as a queen. Yes, bubble baths never disappointed the blonde.

She opted for leaving her hair dry and pulled it up into a high bun before settling down. She never liked the feeling of wet hair especially now that her hair was waist length and thick. It just became one big heavy nightmare until she could get to a hairdryer and dry it for an hour, sometimes even an hour and a half. Maybe she'd cut it to her elbows or something like that, it'd still be long but just more manageable.

The whole point of Ino's relaxation was to clear her head of the events of the day and be ready for a peaceful sleep later. Yet her mind kept racing from memory to memory with no sign of stopping. They started with her encounter with Sasuke and uneasiness replaced her peaceful mood. Slowly they moved on to the better ones.

Ino regretted keeping her eyes glued shut when Shikamaru came to her rescue. Now she wanted to see how he looked at Sasuke or even at her. Did he even look at her or was he just glaring at her boyfriend. She assumed he glared because it was the only look that fit his 'ready to murder' tone as Ino liked to call it. Still she would've loved to see someone glare at the most popular boy at their high school.

Fortunately it gave Ino a nice reveal of who the mysterious guy was. Ino sunk her face into the water up her nose to ward of the blush creeping on her cheeks. It didn't help. At the time she was too focused on getting away from Sasuke and thanking Shikamaru that she hadn't noticed his deep chocolate eyes were completely on her. They were worried about her well being and showed that quite obviously.

In fact she hadn't realized how he looked at all until he had taken her home and played doctor for her. He was stronger than his lean, borderline scrawny, build made him look since he was able to carry her on his back down a block, up a large flight of stairs, and down those same stairs and to her bathroom. He didn't complain about it once to her surprise. Ino thought he would've given how heavy she was in her opinion.

He tried to keep a safe distance between them as he bandaged her up. He had many chances to get close to her and she wouldn't have minded. She did appreciate the space though. She knew most of the boys at her school would've tried to stay as close to her as possible if they were in his position.

Shikamaru focused on her injuries and treated each one delicately. It gave Ino plenty of time to focus on him when his eyes were away from her view. The shade of his eyes was strangely mesmerizing even though it was a dime a dozen chocolate brown. They were so deep and looked like they held a library's amount of knowledge. She had heard rumors that he was actually a genius. She had meant to ask him about it but forgot.

She wondered what his hair felt like. It was always held in a tight spiky ponytail on the top of his head. It reminded Ino of a pineapple. She wondered if he put gel in it or if it was just really coarse and thick. Would she be able to run her fingers through it?

Ino shook her head to remind herself it was a hypothetical idea and felt water droplets come out. She cursed at her thoughts since they made her sink deeper into her tub of hot water instead of keep her hair happily above it and relax. She didn't want to keep thinking of Shikamaru.

Yet she could still vividly feel how his hands felt when they wrapped gauze around hers. They weren't soft but not hard either. Just somewhere perfectly in the middle. Her hands wanted to pull away but wanted to stay put on top of his much more. She wanted to entwine their fingers as well. She thought it would be a refreshing feeling. She was glad he didn't catch her blush.

Ino wondered why she kept blushing around him, hell even thinking about him was making her face flush. But why? She knew the guy better than most of the other guys in her school but still not well either. She had an idea of his personality by the information he had given her but he was still more of a mystery than a solved puzzle to her. She wanted to know him like the back of her hand and she hadn't wanted that about anyone else. Once again she didn't know why.

Then there was the time he lifted her off the sink and onto the bathroom tile. She felt goosebumps go up her arms but blamed it on the water that was slowly growing cold, and not the memory of his fingertips on her waist. His hands has gone into his pockets and his eyes stated at the tile. Ino thought he may have been blushing just like her. She was glad she had changed into a large shirt and an old pair of gym shorts. It served as a small barrier between them. She did wish she had accepted his offer of his blazer as well.

She had quickly limped away from her and towards her living room to watch a movie. He had asked about her clubs and why she did them even if she didn't necessarily enjoy them. It was strange for someone to ask her that and it was even stranger for her to reveal that she didn't like them for the question to come up. She almost liked that someone wanted to know more about her. That still didn't keep her from shutting him out. He didn't ask again.

They sat on opposite sides of the sofa as a comedy played. Ino noticed that Shikamaru had fallen asleep facing towards her. He had looked so peaceful compared to the tension he held since Sasuke had left them in the street. He wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning either, he just looked content. For whatever reason he had propped himself against the back pillows and his own arm instead of the couch end next to him which probably would've been easier. This gave her opportunity to see his face as a blank canvas. There wasn't the wrinkle in his brows or the lopsided smirk.

Although Ino wouldn't put him in the top ten cutest guys in the school, he was handsome in an understated way. He did serve as a standout for his tan complexion. Having a tan was rare for the people in Konoha unless it was during summer. Ino wondered if it was just a summer tan or his natural complexion. Ino went for the latter given how lazy Shikamaru called himself. Either way the warm complexion was very attractive to Ino. It was like freshly toasted cinnamon toast in a pantry full of plain white loaves.

Ino rubbed the slowly fading bubbles on her arms as a way to get the lavender scent to work it's relaxation magic. It did slow her mind down. She didn't even think of how she could've felt Shikamaru's hair or entwined their fingers in his slumber. Instead she thought of the idea of having an actual, genuine crush on the guy. It was absurd but also plausible to her. Her brain was at war trying to decide.

She had only gotten to know the guy over a few days. But she developed a crush on Sasuke for no reason other than his looks and that lasted years. At least this relationship had foundation even if to her it was small. There was also the fact that even if she did have a crush on the guy, which she was positive she didn't, she couldn't act on it. She had to keep up her ruse of dating Sasuke to avoid drama and rumors. Ino also didn't know how Shikamaru felt about her. He hadn't made any obvious attempts to show his affection or even the possibility of returning hers.

There was that time he stared at her in the lunchroom for a very lengthy amount of time. Ino still hadn't thought of a reason for that. He also sounded extremely pissed off when he saves her in the street. Ino reminded herself that didn't necessarily mean he was mad for a romantic reason. He was a nice guy after all and didn't like seeing someone get hurt. Ino wasn't sure if she was in denial that he liked her back or if she was being logical by not misinterpreting something.


	12. Chapter 12

"So what's Ino like?" Shikamaru asked his plump best friend as they walked to his house after school. To his relief Ino had kept her word on staying home that day. Sasuke had walked around the halls like it was a normal day as well. The fact didn't surprise the genius but it still annoyed him that the guy was getting off so easy. He had to remember to talk to Ino about it later. He figured that weekend maybe.

"You've met her already. Besides there's no way to describe her perfectly. The girl has so many personality traits that I wonder if she's actually five minds trapped in one body." Chouji shrugged as he munched on his barbecue chips. Shikamaru wondered where his stomach drew the line on food intake. The boy never seemed to be without food.

"Yeah I know that but haven't you guys been friends since you were little? Surely there's got to be something you know about her that no one else does." Shikamaru persisted. He knew his goal to solve the puzzle that was Ino Yamanaka would be difficult but yet his laziness was backing off the topic. He was actually giving an effort to figure her out completely.

"She used to have a humongous fear of clowns. We went to a carnival with our dads once and this clown came up to her with a balloon and she went hysterical. I don't know if she still is though." Chouji replied nonchalantly. No one had ever questioned him on his relationship with Ino before. Most people didn't know they even had one in the first place actually.

"That's all you've got?" Shikamaru asked. He masked the faint disappointment he was feeling. The guy was apparently her childhood friend and he wasn't giving him any good leads.

"Are you playing detective now?" His friend chuckled and threw his now empty bag of chips in the garbage can they walked past.

"Nah just kinda curious I guess." He stated back.

Curious was an understatement. It felt like everything Ino did was a coverup for something else. He had gotten glimpses of her vulnerable but those were quickly veiled by her. Her smile now seemed forced when he used to think it was effortless. She apparently had an ulterior motive for doing all her extracurriculars. He hadn't pushed the subject since she closed him off before he was able to process what she had said. She didn't seem to like her massive mansion vert much either. In fact the only thing for sure that she was hiding was her relationship with Sasuke. That was because of some horrible drama she assumed would come with it. The concept was absurd to him but he complied with her wish. He wasn't happy with it one bit though.

"She's pretty troublesome. Doesn't seem like your type of girl." Chouji commented with a quirked eyebrow. He knew enough about Shikamaru that he practically had the term troublesome trademarked and he hated anyone that had that trait. Ino certainly matched it.

"Yeah I know." He grumbled and stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. He didn't need to be questioned about it and especially not by his best friend. The way his eyebrow was raised made him scowl.

"Wow you're not even going to try to deny it?" Chouji smirked.

"Deny what?" Shikamaru asked with a roll of his eyes. He was beginning to regret accepting Chouji's offer of trying out the new basketball video game after school. He had only agreed to get the plump boy to shut up about it anyway.

"That you're interested in her." Chouji replied. Shikamaru didn't realize a smirk could be so large without making it a full smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's pretty obvious you like her man. You've talked about her this whole walk and the last time we hung out. You stared at her lunch table all day today and on Tuesday. You totally glared at Sasuke during calculus." Chouji explained with a knowing look. Even Naruto was wondering why Shikamaru was talking about Ino so much, and that was painfully obvious.

Shikamaru wasn't good with words so to hear him waste them on talking about a girl was very strange. A very troublesome and complicated one at that.

"It's not like that. I don't want to date her." He groaned. This conversation has taken a very troublesome turn. Romance was not a priority for him whatsoever. It was completely impractical.

He didn't see himself as a good boyfriend either. Ino was a nice girl and she deserved someone better than himself. He could be her friend and draw the line there. That's what he was interested in. It wasn't her vanilla hair or baby blue eyes. It wasn't her magnetizing personality that kept him glued to her. It wasn't that she actually wanted to get to know him instead of giving up after too many one word answers. Her luminous skin that felt like silk when she hugged him or her held her. No it wasn't any of that. Those were just...added bonuses. Nothing worth attempting a relationship for.

"You know it's not a bad thing to have a crush. Sure she's taken but I've heard Sasuke's thinking of dumping her for Karin." Chouji stated as they rounded the corner to his home.

Shikamaru didn't answer to that. Maybe it would snap Ino out of her phobia of public shame. At least he assumed she had some form of it. On the hand it could completely snap her if he had judged her incorrectly. Who knows what else she may have kept hidden about him or her insecurities. He already knew there was something troubling her but it could be too severe. Having a guy dump her could be humiliating for all her knew. Girls were an unfamiliar territory to him.

"You know the fall festival is next week. You could go with her to that." Chouji suggested. Shikamaru promptly rolled his eyes.

"No way." He scoffed.

"Why not? She loves it, goes every year. I doubt Sasuke will go with her since he's kinda anti-social events." Chouji persisted and nudged his friend's arm.

"That still doesn't mean I can ask her to go with me. People could see us." He yawned. This conversation was irking him to no end. Why was Chouji being so nosy.

"Most people stop going when they're ten. It's pretty kiddish. She doesn't even tell people she still goes. Yet I get stuck on Ino patrol all day by my dad. I swear he's more protective of her than me. It'd be my pleasure to relinquish the role to you this year." He explained.

"I doubt you're dad would let me do that. I've met the guy, remember." Shikamaru shuddered. The massive guy watched him like a hawk after driving him home that night. It was enough to faze the stoic teen. He could snap him in half if he wanted.

"Couldn't hurt to try. We are at my house after all." Chouji shrugged. Shikamaru knew what was coming and strangely did nothing to stop it. Why, he didn't know.

"DAD! Shikamaru wants to take Ino to the fall festival!" He called from the doorway. The booming footsteps that followed made Shikamaru want to sprint out the doorway and into the next city. His feet were cemented on the wooden entryway as the large shadow of Chouza came into view. Oh he was screwed,

"And why do you want to do that?" Chouza questioned. Shikamaru had to look up at the cross man.

"Well I'm getting sick of it, it's so boring dad. So when I mentioned it Shikamaru said he had no plans and would be able to do it." Chouji responded for him casually. Shikamaru wondered how he was so calm against the ex-police officer.

"I see. I guess you've done it long enough Chouji. I can't imagine seeing all the little skits and games would be entertaining anymore. But it's really not my call, it's Ino's." He stated. It was obvious he was still contemplating giving the boy permission but Shikamaru still left a pang of relief.

That relief was snatched away when Chouza gave him his cell phone.

"Ask her yourself." He ordered. His eyes were in a dark glare.


	13. Chapter 13

Shikamaru stared at the phone that he clutched loosely in his palm. Cell phones didn't weigh more than a few ounces, yet this one felt like fourty pounds weighing down his confidence. He couldn't get out of calling Ino. He knew that since Chouji was squeezing the back of his neck and his father was staring him down, practically dating him to be a coward. Shikamaru didn't mind being labeled as a coward, but this battle hardly seemed like one to give up on. It was just a phone call which would result in a yes or a no. He wasn't sure which answer he wanted.

He opted to not roll his eyes as he located Ino's number on Chouza's phone. He fought the shake in his hand as he clicked the 'call' button and held the phone to his ear. Doing it by text message would've been so much easier but the Akimichi's would not allow him that pleasure. They were a lot pushier than he thought.

She picked up on the first ring much to his chagrin. He didn't even get a second to prepare! He was greeted with an exasperated sigh before his ear cursed the oncoming shout, "Ugh uncle Chouza I'm in the middle of painting my nails! I swear if they get ruined-"

"It's actually Shikamaru." He stated quickly. She sounded so much like his mother at that moment that a slight chill went up his spine.

"Oh. Well I'm still going to pissed off if my nails get ruined even if it is you. What's up?" She replied back hastily like he had caught her off guard. Which when he thought about it, he actually did. However that was beside the point. Her tone had amped up its cheerfulness though.

"Well Chouji and I were taking about that fall festival next week and I know he usually takes you, but he's getting kind of sick of it. So he asked-" He explained until Chouji's hand squeezed his neck roughly. He shot the plump boy a glare before continuing. The guy was being just as annoying as his mother too.

"I mean I offered to take you instead since apparently you like it a lot. I've never gone so I don't know what it's like either. Anyway your uncle wanted me to ask you if that was alright." He continued nervously. Did Chouza really have to be looming over him.

"I don't see why not. You've seriously never been to it?"

"Nope."

"Well I'll have to give you a grand tour of it then. Pick me up at noon." Ino stated happily on the other line. She had her usual bossy undertone but it seemed strangely understated.

"Jeez that early?" He groaned. The festival was on a Saturday and Saturdays were sleep in days. Even his own bossy mother allowed him that peace.

"How is noon early?" She accused on the other side.

"Because it's on a Saturday. I've got to catch up on all the sleep I've missed over the week." He answered. He thought this was common knowledge to everyone.

"But you nap in class."

"Napping and sleeping are too very different things." He chuckled. He also chose to ignore the strange looks Chouji and Chouza were now giving him. What was their problem now, he wondered.

"You can get some extra shut eye on Sunday because you're picking me up at noon." She replied. That bossy undertone was now very distinct.

"Fine noon it is." He surrendered. He was aware he'd lose the battle eventually, and the fact that Chouza was growing impatient in front of him made him want to get out of that conversation as quickly as possible.

"Great! See you then" She cheered on the other line. It was obvious she was happy that she got what she wanted.

"Bye." He said and hung up. The phone was immediately back in Chouza's hand after that.

"So she agreed?" Chouji asked for reassurance. Shikamaru nodded in response. He then rolled at his friend's devilish grin.

"Now what?" He grumbled and crossed his arms. Chouza was still rigidly standing in front of him with an unimpressed look and he wanted to just play the stupid game Chouji forced him to his home for.

"Oh nothing, come on let's play some ball." He shrugged and started for the stairs. Shikamaru's feet immediately followed to escape Chouza's dark glare. He still wasn't sure what was bugging him anyway.

* * *

Shikamaru stared at his phone screen once more. It was a minute to noon and he was outside the massive Yamanaka residence. He knew he could've just rung the bell three minutes ago, yet he wanted to be perfectly on the dot. Maybe it would impress her.

When the minute passed he pressed her door bell and greeted immediately. She was probably standing by the door to scold him for not being on time, he decided.

He wondered what it was about her and dressing so nicely while he put no effort into his clothes. It just made him look bad and for some reason it was really annoying him. He threw on a dark green sweatshirt and jeans since the weather was getting brisker but not cold enough for a full warm ensemble. He thought it was perfectly normal and saw other people dress like him as he walked to her house. But when she opened the door he suddenly doubted everything he had ever thought.

Ino had the nerve to actually put on an outfit that looked straight out of a magazine, in his own slightly irked opinion. Her platinum hair was in its usual ponytail so at least that was laid back. It did seem shinier though. She was wearing denim shorts with gray leggings underneath. They made her legs look so long if maybe a bit too lean bit still damn good. She had a long sleeved pale pink shirt under a cropped brown leather jacket. She also had a black cross body bag with fringe and short black boots.

And everything looked so good together to make matters more annoying. In his mind it was cruel to look so gorgeous next to someone so plain. He had some nicer clothes if she was going to look _that_ amazing.

"You've got some perfect timing." She smirked as she locked her front door and double checked it. It was then that he realized on top of having an already jaw dropping outfit she was also wearing light pink lip gloss and black eyeliner that made her eyes criminally blue. Honestly who gave her permission to look so damn good?

"Figured you'd appreciate it." He shrugged while feigning nonchalantness. Chouji could've warned him about her.

"You're correct. Everyone around here is always late for things. It's very annoying I'll have you know." She agreed with a nod.

"Aren't you a little dressed up for a festival?" He asked with a teasing smirk. She was obviously taunting him by looking so nice compared to him so he'd taunt her back.

Instead of getting flustered like he expected she just scrunched her nose in confusion. "No it's casual." She replied as they began the path to the festival in the middle of the town.

That left him in almost more shock then when he first saw her. If that was casual then what was fancy? He wanted to know much more than he should've.

"Well nevermind then." He replied sheepishly. So she just normally wore stuff like that apparently.

"Anyways I've already mapped out how we'll tackle this thing. I mean we have to go to everything since you've never been here before. We're going to start at the cafe because they have a special pumpkin cranberry muffin for the day and it's amazing." She continued cheerfully like she just brushed off his previous comment.

"How much is there to do?" He asked with a yawn. His ideal Saturday did not contain several hours at a kiddish festival. It didn't matter that he had Ino as his company.

"A lot." She stated and he rolled his eyes.

The walk wasn't all that far and to him it was quite pleasant. He loved autumn air. It was so crisp and earthy that he sit outside all day. Sometimes he did just that. It was visually pleasing as well. Konoha had amazing architectures to gaze at and the streets were always clean. The trees were splashed in gold, scarlet, caramel, orange, and olive. The leaves crunched under his sneakers and the sound strangely didn't irritate his ears. Neither did Ino's constant commentary on how great the festival was. He had mostly toned her out and gave the occasional nod or shake of the head.

"I hate that winter has to ruin all of this." He said out loud instead of in his thoughts. All winter did was freeze his hands, make everything look glum, give him extra chores like shoveling snow, and make cloud watching impossible.

"It really is a shame. It's so beautiful right now. Snow is pretty and all but not good enough. You know?" She replied with a smile that gave him a view of her perfectly straight and white teeth. Did she even have a physical insecurity to worry about? He doubted it.

"Definitely." He agreed.

"What's your favorite season?" She asked. She really was a curious one.

"Autumn. Summer's pretty close though. Yours is probably spring right?"

"Why yes it is. How did you know that?" She asked with an eyebrow raised and a hand placed on her hip.

"You said you like flowers a lot. I just assumed." He replied.

"It also has an even better festival than this one." She stated as they turned another corner. She then twirled in front of him and answered the question his eyebrows were raising. "And speaking of festivals we're here!"


End file.
